Fiesta Bowl

Things have slowed down a bit in the two weeks since the Pac-12 media deal became official, which 1) has given me a chance to catch up on some issues (for example: post-NBA Draft deadline reconfiguring) and 2) means it will get very busy very soon.

It never stays quiet for long.

Action: Cal coach Jeff Tedford names Zach Maynard, a transfer from Buffalo, the starting quarterback. Reaction I: What took Tedford so long? Reaction II: The job was Maynard’s to lose the moment he stepped on campus, largely because there were no viable options already on campus. Evidently, he did enough to not lose it.Reaction III: The Bears haven’t moved the ball consistently against the top teams in the Pac-10 in seems-like-forever, which helps explain why Tedford is 17-19 in league play in the past four seasons. Maybe Maynard won’t be any better than Kevin Riley or Brock Mansion through the air, but at least he can run to the first-down stick.

The Hotline congratulates Tara VanDerveer on her induction Monday into the Naismith Hall of Fame, along with Chris Mullin, Dennis Rodman, Tex Winter and others.

The honor is richly deserved — to the extent that VanDerveer could qualify as a double-inductee:

She warrants a spot in the HoF for her on-court accomplishments, which include one gold medal, two NCAA titles, nine Final Fours and 800+ wins.

And she warrants a spot in the HoF for her contributions to the game — her role in building the sport over the past quarter century and, through Stanford’s success, inspiring countless young girls to take up basketball.

VanDerveer is the first Bay Area-based player/coach to be inducted since Phil Woolpert in 1992.

*** 9:30 p.m. update: UConn has won the Big East, which complicates matters for Stanford.

Had UConn lost, then West Virginia would have won the Big East and almost certainly been matched against VaTech in the Orange, sending Stanford to the Fiesta.

I spoke to a bowl rep tonight — not from the Orange, but from one of the major bowls — and he said Orange officials are known within the industry as an unpredictable group.

Will they pick Stanford, with its better record, higher ranking and (presumably) better TV ratings? … Or will they pick UConn, which figures to bring far more fans to a bowl that cares about ticket sales?

As an AP voter, I’m getting bombarded with emails from Utah fans, all politely making the case that the Utes should be No. 1.

They can’t be No. 1 in the USA Today/Coaches or Harris polls, since those voters are obligated to rank the winner of the BCS title game No. 1.

But the Associated Press voters aren’t under any such obligation. We can vote for the winner of the NCG or the winner of the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, etc … thus creating the always-intriguing possibility of a split title.